Wrench



A; L. WINGE.

WRENCH.

(No Model.)

No 536,165. Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

INVENTOH W/TNESSE:

i if T 7 wmw wrronufls.

. fixed at one end of a lever bar, a sliding j aw UNITED STATES ALFLAUBERT WINGE, OF MILES CITY, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS SAMEPLACE, AND OONLY D. EAMES, OF I TO THOMAS H. DEOHERT, OF GLENDIVE,MONTANA.

PATE T OFFICE.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 536,165, dated March19, 1895- Application filed November 3, 1894- Serial No. 527,811. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALF LAUBERT WINGE, of Miles City, in the county ofCuster and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Wrenches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in a class of wrenches having atransverse jaw on said bar, a movable rack adapted for adj ustableengagement with a sliding jaw to retain it locked at different points onthe lever bar, and means to hold the rack stationary on the bar.

The object of my invention is to provide novel details of constructionfor a wrench of the type indicated, which will afford increasedefficiency forthe implement without adding to its cost.

To this end my invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of parts, as is hereinafter described and indicated in theclaims. 7

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar numerals of reference indi catecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved wrench. Fig. 2 is a partlysectional side view of a wrench having the improvements. Fig. 3 is adetached sectional side view of the sliding jaw for the wrench. Fig. 4is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 isa transverse sectional view, on the line 55 in Fig. 2.

The lever bar 10, that is rectangular in cross section, is affordedsuitable dimensions to adapt it for the service it is to perform, theimprovements being of a nature that will permit their co-action withother parts of a sliding jaw wrench, of any desired size and strength.

The transverse fixed jaw 11, is formed integral with the lever bar 10,and is given the ordinary shape for such a portion of the wrench, as isshown in Figs. 1 and 2. A shank 12 is produced on the other end portionof the lever bar, this being preferably ,taperedtoward its freeterminal, and is so reduced indiameter that a shoulder is formed at thepoint where the shank joins the thickest part of the bar 10.

The handle piece 13, is made of wood or other available material, and isshaped to afford a convenient grip-piece, as represented in Figs. 1 and2, it being axially perforated in a manner which will effect a close fitbetween itand the tapered shank when mounted on the latter.

To preserve the ends of the handle piece, a capped ferrule 14, isclosely fitted on the end which has contact with the shoulder at theinner termination of the shank, and a cupped washer 15, is located onthe other extremity of the handle piece, said washer affording a seatfor the clamping nut 16, that has a threaded engagement with the reducedend of the shank,which is screw-cut, and projects sufficiently outsideof the washer to receive the nut.

The sliding jaw 17 is shaped as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, where it isrepresented as detached from the bar 10; and comprises a sleeve ofcorrect dimensions, which is furnished with a laterally projecting noseat one end, which is shaped to correspond with the form of the nose onthe fixed jaw 1 1. The aperture which extends through the jaw 17, is ofsuch a width as will allow its parallel side walls to loosely embracetwo opposite sides of the lever bar 10, and at the end where the nose ofthe sliding jaw projects, said aperture is shaped to effect a loosecontact of the sliding jaw with all sides of the bar it is mounted on.

At a proper distance from the level face of the jaw 17, that in serviceis opposite to and parallel with the gripping face of the fixed jaw 11,the transverse diameter of the aperture in the sliding jaw issufficiently increased to admit the insertion of other parts, one ofsaid parts being the plate spring 18, which has one of its ends securedon the inner surface of the rear wall of the jaw 17 near the grippingface of the latter, the free end of the spring being projected towardthe opposite end of the jaw, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The front wall of the sliding jaw 17, or of the sleeve portion of thesame, has a shortintegral ratchet-toothed rack 19 formed in it,

that lies opposite the free end portion of the spring 18, or said rackmay be separately pro- 5 duced, and be secured in the jaw if preferred.

A rack 20, having ratchet teeth formed on one side throughoutitslength,of apitch that will permit it to correctly mesh with the teeth of therack in the sliding jaw, is furnished with a transversely centraldove-tailed tongue 21, that is longitudinally formed on the sideopposite the teeth of the rack, and extends nearly the entire length ofthe rack.

In the side of the lever bar 10 which will lie nearest the ratchet teeth19, when the parts of the wrench are assembled, a dovetailed channel isproduced, in which the tongue 21 will slide and fit neatly, said channelbeing extended nearly from end to end of the bar.

At the point where the rectangular body of the lever bar joins theintegral shank 12, a portion of said body is made cylindrical, and has ascrew thread of fine pitch formed on it, as shown at 22 in Figs. 1, 2and 5, and on the screw stem portion of the bar a sleeve nut 23 isscrewed, the latter being peripherally grooved to produce a continuousannular channel, as represented at 24 in the figures mentioned.

There is a toe 25 formed on the side of the rack 20, at the end which isprojected toward the handle piece 13, this formation being produced bytransversely grooving the rack body at a short distance from itsextremity and on the same side with the dove-tail tongue. The toe 25 ismade to loosely fit in the annular channel of the sleeve nut 23, onecircumferential flange on the latter, which is produced by the formationof said channel, enterin g the transverse groove in the rack, whicheffects an interlocking engagement of the rack 20 with the sleeve nut,and adapts said nut to slide the rack when it is rotated on the screwstem 22, and traverses the latter.

In assembling the parts, the jaw 17 is slid on the lever bar so as todispose its nose opposite the similar formation of the fixed jaw 11,which will compress the spring 18, as indicated in Fig. 2, the otherparts being subsequently arranged as shown.

1n operating the wrenclntoadjustits sliding jaw so as to permit bothjaws of the wrench to properly engage with a nut, bolt-head, or otherobject on which the wrench is to be applied, the sliding jaw is pressedtoward the rack 20, which the resilience of the spring 18 will perinit.This will detach the teeth of the movable rack from the fixed rack 19,and allow the jaw 17 to be longitudinally adjusted. Should the pitch ofthe teeth on the stationary rack 19 and slidable rack be too coarse topermit a proper engagement of the jaws of the wrench with the object towhich they are applied, the adjusting sleeve nut 23 is rotated in aproper direction, which will further slide the jaw 17, that has becomeinterlocked with the rack owing to the pressure of the spring 18. As thenut 23 is preferably check milled on each of its peripheral flanges, asurface is thus provided which will enable the operator to rotate thenut withoutthe annoyance of a loss of grip on it, which is an advantagewhen the implement is used with grease soiled hands, that frequentlyhappens to be the case if the device is used by ma- .chinists orengineers, for whom the improvement is a specially convenient implement.

The provision of the dove-tailed tongue on the ratchet rack 20, and itssliding engagement with a mating channel in the lever bar 10, permitsthe rack to he slid with ease, and at the same time maintains apositiveclutched engagement of the rack with the lever bar, which is a valuablefeature of the improvement, as if this provision is not adopted the 8rack will be liable to bend, and disengage its toe from the sleeve nutwhen repeatedly subjected to heavy strains incidental to the use of thewrench.

The provision of the plate spring 18 aifords means for enforcing theengagement of the racks 19 and 20 which is much superior to spiralsprings used for a similar purpose on other devices of the same type, asthe plate spring may be compressed nearly fiat, and when so 5 compressedwill occupy but little space as compared with a spiral spring having anequal range of eifective action.

The general construction and design of the improvement aifords a shapelytool, that is compact and strong as well as convenient and reliable inservice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In aslidingjaw wrench, the combination, with alever bar having a fixed jaw, and a spring-pressed sliding jaw having afixed rack within it, of a movable rack the teeth of which mate with theteeth of the fixed rack, said I I0 rack having a loose dove-tailedconnection with the lever bar, whereby the rack is secured to but isfree to slide on the lever bar and a device to slide the rack,substantially as described.

2. In a slidingjaw wrench, the combination, with a lever bar having afixed jaw on one end, and a screw-threaded formation between its ends, aspring-pressed, apertured sliding jaw having a fixed rack within itsaperture, 120 and a movable rack having a sliding dovetailed connectionwith the lever bar, and a lateral toe at one end,of a sleeve nut on thescrew formation of the lever bar, and having a circumferential grooveengaged by the too 12 5 of the rack, and also having a circumferentialflange that has a loose locking engagement with a transverse groove inthe movable rack, substantially as described.

3. A wrench, comprisingalever barliaving 1 o SCI a jaw atone end and ahandle at the other, a tion of the lever bar and having a loose conrackhaving a loose dovetail connection with nection with the rack of thesaid lever bar, 10 the handle bar, a sleeve having a jaw at onesubstantially as herein shown and described. end and a rack on itsinterior adapted to engage the rack of the lever bar, a plate spring ALFLAUBERT WINGE' having one end secured to the interior of the Witnesses:4 sleeve and its free end bearing on the lever JOHN P. DEENY, bar, and anut mountedon a threaded p0r-' O. F. SMITH.

